Children from some black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds are routinely placed with substitute carers who do not match their cultural, linguistic, religious and ethnic backgrounds. The shortage of foster carers and adopters of specific backgrounds means that the demand in the care population often outweighs the availability of matched placement options. While the shortages of BME foster carers and adopters are widely recognised, there is virtually no research into the barriers faced by specific BME groups, so there are no informed recruitment strategies to increase the pool of potential matches. This research focuses on Somalis living in a large English city where there is a significant shortage of Somali foster carers and adopters despite people of Somali heritage comprising a sizeable proportion of the care and city population. Findings from the study suggest that there is no lack of motivation among the Somali population to foster or adopt, but participants felt that potential applicants are either rejected or deterred by institutional barriers, social exclusion and negative perceptions of social care, and that these factors are closely interlinked. The study makes practical suggestions for recruitment and assessment practice, but also stresses the importance of cultural competence and community engagement in a wider context of social care if welfare agencies wish to see more disenfranchised communities volunteering to work with them.

来自某些黑人和少数族裔（BME）背景的儿童通常会被安排与他们的文化，语言，宗教和种族背景不符的替代照料者。缺乏特定背景的寄养者和收养者意味着在护理人群中的需求往往超过了相配安置方案的可用性。尽管人们普遍认识到BME寄养者和收养者的短缺，但实际上没有针对特定BME群体所面临的障碍进行研究，因此没有知情的招募策略来增加潜在的人选。这项研究的重点是居住在英国大城市中的索马里人，尽管索马里人在护理和城市人口中占很大比例，但索马里的寄养者和收养者仍然严重短缺。该研究的结果表明，索马里人口并不缺乏养育或收养的动机，但参与者感到潜在的申请人要么受到体制障碍，社会排斥和对社会照料的否定看法的拒绝或阻碍，这些因素是紧密相连。该研究为招聘和评估实践提供了实用的建议，但同时强调，如果福利机构希望看到更多被剥夺权利的社区自愿与他们合作，那么在更广泛的社会关怀中文化能力和社区参与的重要性。社会排斥和对社会照料的否定看法，并且这些因素是紧密联系在一起的。该研究为招聘和评估实践提供了实用的建议，但同时强调，如果福利机构希望看到更多被剥夺权利的社区自愿与他们合作，那么在更广泛的社会关怀中文化能力和社区参与的重要性。社会排斥和对社会照料的否定看法，并且这些因素是紧密联系在一起的。该研究为招聘和评估实践提供了实用的建议，但同时强调，如果福利机构希望看到更多被剥夺权利的社区自愿与他们合作，那么在更广泛的社会关怀中文化能力和社区参与的重要性。